


Bleeding Hearts

by MiddayStar



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Haruno Sakura Has Issues, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:54:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25905418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiddayStar/pseuds/MiddayStar
Summary: If there are things in this world worth fighting for, dying for, Sakura figures it's her boys. And while some may call that weakness, she thinks it's her greatest strength. Maybe they could learn a thing or two from that bleeding heart of hers.Sakura follows Sasuke AU. Includes a lot of changes to canon in order to make more sense of the world/preference. Tags to be updated as written.
Relationships: Gaara/Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Yakushi Kabuto, Haruno Sakura/Yamanaka Ino, Hatake Kakashi & Uzumaki Naruto, Konan & Nagato | Pain, Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto & Yamanaka Ino
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Me, 11: Sakura following Sasuke is such a STUPID idea it would never work  
> Me, 21: *Curb your enthusiasm
> 
> I remember being, well, 11, and reading fic summaries like this and go "pshhh yeah, whatever." But now that I have a better grasp on Naruto (and all the things it did wrong), the possibilities were endless in my mind.
> 
> It started out as sort of a nail fic, and then I realized there were a LOT of things about the cannon that didn't make sense/I just straight up didn't like and couldn't in good faith write them. 
> 
> The biggest change is there's no Kaguya. Zetsu is still here but he's been scaled down QUITE a bit. The overarching plot follows cannon pretty much the same. 
> 
> I think that's all the notes I have so uhhhhhhhh yeah

It’s the nerves that get to her more than anything. The sitting in her room, clawing at her arms, staring at nothing.

Sasuke is gone – rather, Sasuke left. And while she knows Naruto will try his hardest – he always does, he always had - she isn’t sure whose will is going to come out on top. An hour after the recovery team leaves she’s pacing. Her mom comes upstairs to calm her down, but like most 13-year-olds she snaps and tells her she can handle herself. And like most 13-year-olds, she comes downstairs to apologize, anger replaced with tears.

Useless. That’s what she tells her mom when she asks how Sakura feels. Deadweight.

With a kiss to her daughter’s head, Mebuki corrects her.

“Sakura Haruno, you are  _ not  _ useless. Those boys  _ love  _ you.” Mebuki remembers the first time Naruto came by with Sasuke to pick up Sakura for training. All smiles, brash but not rude. She used to think he didn’t know  _ how _ to love until that day.

And Sasuke, the boy from the clan they were so convinced would eat the village from the inside out. He was quiet, moody. Just like any other teenage boy. 

And when Sakura came down, all smiles and flirting, she couldn’t help but see the bond the 3 of them shared. The older two scolded Naruto, yes, and Sakura tried a little  _ too  _ hard when it came to Sasuke, but they walked off in sync. The energy and warmth that radiated from Team 7 made her heart melt. And even though she would have rather Sakura remain a civilian, she knew as long as she was with one of them her daughter would be okay.

Wiping her face, Sakura looked up at her mother with puffy eyes, “Do you-do you mean that?” Mebuki nodded.

“Of course. Sakura,” She took her daughter’s hands in hers, “you’re special – don’t shake your head at me, I’m right.” Sakura flinched, her mother’s temper known to rival her own. “I know compared to Naruto, Sasuke, and even your sensei you may not feel like it, but they’re different. Sasuke, as you know, is the last of one of the 4 Royal Clans. Kakashi is a war hero and Naruto…” Mebuki trailed off. 

“I know… he’s been training with Master Jiraiya. I just don’t know why-why no one ever sees…” She began to sob again, wiping her face in her mother’s shirt. “I-I try so hard. I-I studied, I got top marks, I push myself outside of training, or when-when Kakashi-sensei is busy or-or training Sasuke instead or… But I just can’t do it. It’s like you said-you said… I’m nothing compared to them… Just like with Ino …” Mebuki sighs and holds her daughter. 

“It’ll be okay Sakura… Just wait.”

-

But Sakura is sick of waiting. That night, her stomach is in knots. She’s exhausted herself from crying and now she’s ready to vomit. The anxiety runs through her body like fire and propels her to pack her bag. The essentials: change of clothes, med-kit, a map, kunai, senbon. She doesn’t have any poison, but she’s considered trying one day. At least they’ll be a good backup in case she runs out of kunai. She allows herself to sleep a pitiful 4 hours before sunrise. She has the course mapped out in her mind. And she’s gone.


	2. When the Sky Opens

It was only by luck she made it to the Valley of the End at just the right time. It was one of the few landmarks on her map, and with it right at the border she figured it was the best way for her to go, lest she get lost trying to find whatever obscure path the Sound Four might have taken. She sees lightning in the distance, brilliant yellow and blue, and although it looks like the heavens may open up any minute, she knows it’s her boys. 

Rushing through the tree-line, she can see clearly now. She can  _ feel  _ clearly now. Their chakra is immense, enormous. She thought she knew what power they were capable of, but… This was Godly, or rather, Ungodly. It was enough to make Sakura tremble. So she ran, frantically looking for a way down. If they sensed her they didn’t acknowledge her presence. 

By the time she got to Hashirama’s side, the two clashed with a blinding light. Her gut wrenched as she called out to them, propelled by her fear.

“SASUKE! NARUTO!” It was enough to snap Sasuke out of his hazy delirium, and he was once again aware of where he was. Naruto remained unresponsive though. It was risky, but she took the plunge. Just barely grabbing onto Naruto, she cradled his body as she braced herself. Despite sticking the landing, she almost buckled under her own weight, pins and needles racing throughout her body. On the other side of the river, Sasuke floated down, cursed seal retreating. Laying Naruto down, Sakura quickly went to her bag, scrambling to find her medkit. 

“Naruto… Naruto, it’s going to be okay… Let me… Damnit! There, there…” She took out a disinfectant and went to cover his wounds, but they were already healing. “Naruto… Let me, I’ll-I’ll bandage that I’ll…” As she wrapped the gauze about his newly formed membranes, Sasuke watched in disbelief. She had actually followed. But there was no time to waste. He didn’t know who else may be right behind her. He prepared to jump, but the slightest movement of his right arm sent waves of pain through his body. He was too tired to suppress a yowl of pain, and hunched over for a moment.

“Sasuke! Hold on! I’m almost done with Naruto and then… And then I’ll help you!” she finished patching him up, as best she could and jumped over to Madara’s side. He looked up with her with what he hoped was malice, but she only saw exhaustion in his eyes.

“Sasuke… Don’t worry. I’m here.” She got him to kneel with her. Thinking quickly, but not smartly, she took out her last two rolls of gauze and created a makeshift sling. It was tight, and Sasuke groaned in pain the whole time, but it did the job.

“Sakura… Why did you… Why are you here?”

“Why am I here? To stop you, of course! Sasuke!” She was stunned. How could he not understand what she was willing to do for him? What  _ Naruto  _ was willing to do for him? 

“It’s useless… He couldn’t stop me, that  _ loser,  _ why do you think  _ you  _ could?” The word  _ loser  _ had that sting behind it. The sting Sakura had heard Mebuki speak with when she first learned Sakura would be on the same team as Naruto. The sting that Ino’s dad used when she used to hang out at the flower shop and Naruto would come through. It was the same sting she used to put behind her words. Sometimes she still did.

“Stop it. He’s…” She felt angry, hot tears rolling down her face. “Naruto is NOT a loser. He’s your FRIEND. He’s OUR friend I… I…” She was crying, again. “Sasuke… You don’t understand if you… If you go you’ll… Please…” He looked at her neither kindly nor unkindly. He felt vapid.

“Sakura. Take Naruto home. Go.” She didn’t move. “Please.”

“Sasuke… I… I want to help you. I don’t want you to die. Please…” She smothered her face in her hands, reminiscent of the night before when she buried her face in her mother’s chest. Sasuke began to stand but quickly sat once more. His head was reeling. 

“Dammit… My head… Sakura…” She looked up, immediately reaching out. 

“What else hurts? What do you need? How-How can I help you?” He tore his hands away and looked at her, almost breaking into tears himself. He felt so weak. So defeated. He may have won but he couldn’t make it by himself. Not like this. But his pride – he had too much pride to go back, and not enough to stop himself from asking.

“Bring me… Come with me.” She stared at him, breathless.

“What?”

“Come with me… To Orochimaru. You said you wanted to go, right? Well? This is it. I thought… I thought I didn’t need you, but…” 

“Sasuke… I…” She turns back to Naruto, brow furrowed in concern.

“But… What about Naruto? He…”

“He’ll be fine. I couldn’t – I decided not to kill him. He… He isn’t worth it.” 

And for a moment Sakura saw red. She wouldn’t have believed she slapped him had it not been for the fresh red mark across Sasuke’s cheek. Immediately though, she apologized.

“Sasuke? Sasuke! I’m-I’m sorry I…” Sasuke only smirked, some of the light returning to his eyes.

“It’s fine I… I’ve been through worse. I didn’t know you had it in you, Sakura.” He looked over at Naruto, eyes lingering to make sure he was breathing. “He’ll be fine. There’s a whole squad behind him, and Kakashi-sensei I’m sure… But I’m going, regardless. You can’t stop me. So I’m asking you again – help me. Maybe with you, I can at least - I can at least make it one piece.” He stood up again, and Sakura latched onto his arm.

“NO! Sasuke, don’t! This is stupid!” It took all his strength to push her off and jump up to Madara’s side. He took a breath of air, and made a beeline to the trees, Sakura hot on his trail.

He felt like his head was going to split open. Perhaps he pushed his Sharingan too far. Perhaps it was from their clash. He didn’t know. All he knew is he had barely enough energy to keep her off his trail, let alone knock her out like he did the other night. 

Sakura was impressed he was still able to move as agile in the state he was in. That should have been impossible after their fight, but those boys were full of surprises. Well, so was she. Using extra chakra to push off a branch, she catapulted herself into Sasuke, latching onto him in the same fashion she had Naruto. The two plummeted to the ground, but this time, her carry on was struggling. Unable to focus, she landed on her back as opposed to her feet. Her own head was swimming now, but she still pushed herself to stand over Sasuke.

At first, he thought it was her tears. But it was the rain. Sakura smirked down at him.

“Heh. Looks like… Looks like I’m not useless after all…” Sasuke made his way to stand as well, incensed.

“Sakura, STOP. This is ridiculous, I-“ The pounding in his head forced him to lean against a tree trunk. She began to dig around in her bag for those painkillers, her own head starting to pound. After offering a couple to Sasuke she took her own and leaned against the tree with him.

“I told you, Sasuke. You’re going home.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” The Genin’s eyes snapped open to watch as Kabuto stepped into the clearing. 

Between labored breaths, “Shit.”, was all Sakura could manage.

-

“Kakashi Sensei, where’s Sasuke?” Kakashi didn’t answer the boy clinging to his back. They shared a knowing silence as the medic ninja arrived on scene to question Naruto’s condition.

“He’ll pull through.”

“And Sasuke, Sasuke Uchiha, what about him? What happened?” Neither of them had the energy to respond.

-

“Naruto, we need to talk.” Kakashi’s voice was the softest either had ever heard it. From his spot in the hospital bed, Naruto felt his stomach churn.

“Yeah?” Shame and guilt hung between the two of them as Kakashi took his time to answer.

“Pakkun picked up a 3 rd scent.” He bit his lower lip and tugged at his mask for air. “It was… Sakura’s.” 

“Sakura’s?”

“And it lead over the border. Along with Sasuke’s.” Naruto’s eyes widened.

“You… you mean…?” Kakashi turned his head away from the boy.

“They’re both gone.” Naruto’s stomach dropped. “I’m sorry, Naruto.” 


	3. Why We Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the first were pretty short, but starting with the next one they should be getting longer.

While Sasuke may have been down for the count, Sakura still had some fight left in her. She wasn’t about to let all her work go to waste just because of this asshole in front of her.

“You…” She snarled, grabbing three senbon and hurling them. They hit their target which unceremoniously poofed into a log.  _ ‘Of course…’ _ Before Sakura could even think of her next move, she had a kunai to her neck and a hand in her hair. 

“It’s nice to see you too, Sakura. But I’m afraid I don’t have time to catch up – Sasuke here has kept Lord Orochimaru waiting long enough.” Sakura’s breathing hitched as she felt the cold steel of the blunt side dig into her neck. “Now then, why don’t we end this little game. Sasuke will be coming with me-“

“Wait!” Sasuke struggled to stand from where he sat, staggering towards Kabuto and Sakura. His body may have been drained, but the anger in his eyes burned intensely. “Don’t you lay a finger on her. Or I’m not going anywhere.” He grabbed his right shoulder and hissed. Kabuto had to suppress a laugh.

“Sasuke, I don’t think you under-“

“Shut up! I… I said what I said. Either she… She comes, or you’ll have to kill both of us. And I don’t think Orochimaru would be too happy about that, would he?” Sasuke was pushing it here, but he had to take the risk. He knew his worth and the leverage it carried. Kabuto’s brow furrowed, but he released his grip on Sakura. She collapsed to the ground with a sigh of relief.

“Fine. But just so you both know, you’re only prolonging the inevitable.”

-

The halls of the hideout were dimly lit, and the musty scent which lingered throughout only added to the unwelcoming ambiance. The two straggled along behind Kabuto, with Sakura and Sasuke switching who was just barely in front of the other. It was a like dance for them, subtle to anyone but the two. Although after a time, Sasuke seemed on the verge of collapsing and they had to halt their performance so Sakura could give him a shoulder to lean on. 

They felt Orochimaru before they saw him. While not as intense as in the Forest of Death, Sakura could feel the tension in her whole body building. If not because Sasuke needed her at the moment, she would have let herself fall to the ground and seize up. They stopped before a set of double-doors which seemed to materialize out of nowhere in those barren halls. Kabuto opened them slowly to reveal what seemed to be a personal study. Orochimaru sat before them, his body heavily bandaged. But there was no denying that chakra.

“So you’ve come, Sasuke.” Orochimaru’s eyes scanned over the party before him, landing on Sakura. She felt her heartbeat stop, and when she felt her grip slipping on Sasuke, she instead dug her nails into his side further. The boy hissed, giving her a side-eye she didn’t notice. “Although, it seems you’ve brought a friend. Kabuto.”

“Yes, my Lord?”

“Isn’t it a bit cruel? I know we are always in need of fresh bodies, but-“

“Enough.” Sasuke’s voice cut through, commanding and cold. “She stays with me. If you lay a finger on her, I’ll leave.” Orochimaru’s surprise quickly turned into amusement.

“Oh, really? And tell me, Sasuke, why is that? I thought you came here searching for power. How are you going to do that by keeping this girl around? She’s just a reminder of the Hidden Leaf, a hindrance to your progress.” Sakura clenched her fists, finally finding the strength to turn her head away. She didn’t even want to be here, she didn’t care about Orochimaru or four-eyes’ respect. But still, his words cut into her insecurities like a knife. 

“Without her, I wouldn’t even be here. I know what I’m doing. If you get rid of her, you get rid of me.” This time Orochimaru erupted into full-on laughter.

“Alright, Sasuke. I’ll entertain your request.”

-

The shower’s water could barely be considered warm, let alone hot, but Sakura wasn’t about to go complaining. Dried and dressed, she went through her pack, taking inventory of everything. She wasn’t sure how long it had been since they had locked her in her room to meet with Sasuke privately, but it felt like an eternity. She knew without Sasuke, she would just be fodder to Orochimaru and it took everything in her power to not bust down that door and run. 

_ ‘If I leave, Sasuke will be all alone… But if I stay, they may just decide to kill me, or worse… But what if I’m forced to do awful things? What if  _ I _ get one of those freaky curse marks? But even if I  _ tried _ to leave, they would just track me down, and Sasuke would never forgive me, and-‘ _ Her frantic inner-monologue was cut off by the sound of the lock opening. She quickly composed herself and stood up. It was Sasuke. 

“Sakura.” She smiled, a sense of relief washing over her. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine, well, great, now that I know you're safe.” Instead of Sasuke’s normal indifference to her flirtations, he seemed to relax a bit, smiling. She noted his arm was no longer in her makeshift-sling, but he was obviously disoriented.

“Good. It seems you weren’t shaken up to bad.” He closed the door behind him, handing the key off to Sakura. “I told them I needed to talk to you. So listen,” Sasuke sat on her bed, holding his head, and Sakura joined next to him. “If we want to survive here, we have to have a goal. Or rather, I have a goal, and you’re going to help me fulfill it.” Despite the strain, Sasuke flashed his Sharingan at Sakura. She read the truth between his words:

_ “Help me, or you’re on your own.” _

“It’s your brother, right? Itachi…” Venom crept into her throat as she spoke his name. In many ways, she was starting to blame him for her situation.

“Right… But I won’t be able to take him down. Not until…” Sasuke looked at the door, and Sakura nodded. Their eyes met again, and for the first time since he came back from his encounter with Itachi, Sakura saw familiarity in his eyes. “We have to survive, Sakura. We can’t lose ourselves here.” She almost mentioned Naruto but bit her tongue, nodding. 

-

Naruto was numb. He was on the track to memorize the hospital ceiling, eyes trained on the tiles, mind wandering, wondering,  _ ‘Why?’ _ He wished he could ask them. 

Naruto’s stream of consciousness was cut off by his hospital door opening, surprised to see it was Ino. 

“Naruto! You’re alright! Where’s Sakura? She came back with you and Kakashi-sensei, right?” Ino’s energy was similar to the pink-haired kunoichi – frantic, worrying, but slightly more pessimistic, he thought. Naruto looked out the window, his face scrunching up. Someone else to let down, someone else to hate him. Ino’s expression slowly fell. “Naruto…? Where is she?!” The urgency in her voice made him flinch, and Naruto was about to snap back when someone else interrupted.

“Gosh, Ino, you’re so loud. I could hear you all the way down the hall and the poor kid’s trying to rest.” Through the reflection in his bedside window, Naruto could see Shikamaru in the doorway. 

“Shikamaru! Has Choji woken up yet?” Ino walked over to her teammate.

“Not yet, but Asuma-sensei is waiting in the lobby. Lady Hokage just briefed us on everything that happened so we’ll fill you in. Just leave poor Naruto alone.” Shikamaru idled as Ino left down the hall, hand on the doorframe. “Hey, Naruto…” Naruto didn’t move to acknowledge him. “Good job.” When Shikamaru left, Naruto finally let himself cry for the first since he came home.


	4. Something to Strive For

Sasuke lied down with a hand over his head. Kabuto told him it would be at least a week before he could start training. Stupid concussion. He cursed Sakura for a brief moment before letting his anger dissipate. No. She was not his enemy. Without her, he wouldn’t even  _ be _ here. Or at least, that’s what he told himself to justify her presence.

Sasuke didn’t  _ really _ want her here. He just preferred this option for her over a shallow grave. He hoped she at least knew and appreciated that. 

Either way, it was good to have a confidant. Someone you could trust. Sasuke was sure those types of people would be few and far between in the Village Hidden in the Sound. 

Fumbling in the dark, Sasuke found the bottle Kabuto left on the table, along with some water. Painkillers. He sat up and took one, getting ready to properly rest. Instinctively he went to take off his hitai-ate, only to remember where he had left it. 

_ ‘Naruto…’ _ If Sasuke had the energy too, he would curse his name aloud. Instead, he would settle for ruminations. His teammates were foolish to follow him, and Sakura seemed to have drawn the shortest of two, very small straws. Sasuke could at least understand why  _ Naruto _ had done what he did. He was strong enough to rival the curse seal’s second-form, he had a heart of gold, he was a lonely child who never knew love so now he was desperate to relate too and keep around any person who happened to look his way.

But Sakura already had her shot two nights ago, and she proved no match for Sasuke. He wondered what had possessed her to make such a stupid, risky move. A move which nearly cost her her life. Her infatuation with him? No, childish infatuation doesn’t have you take risks like that. Was her love as sincere as she proclaimed it to be? Sasuke pondered that thought for a moment. 

When he thought of love, sincere and pure his heart ached. It reminded him of his mom, the kindest and most patient woman he had ever known. If he could go back in time, he would have taken her up on those shuriken lessons, or rest his head in her lap one more time. If his mom had told him she was going to leave on what seemed like a suicide mission, of course, he would have begged her not to go. He thought of the rest of his family and remembered Itachi’s  _ own _ mission. The pure love he had for his brother felt more like a memory than an actual experience now. All that was left from his brother’s betrayal was a burning, white-hot hate. And that’s why Sasuke went on his mission.

From this, Sasuke rationalized love and hate were two sides of the same coin. Maybe Sakura hated him? He definitely gave her more material to work within that department. Maybe she would turn on him, kill him in the night? No, she was too cowardly for that. He would’ve pondered more, but his eyelids were drooping, and his head pounded. It was time for him to sleep.

-

Sakura somehow hadn’t suffered terribly, aside from a few scrapes and bruises. Sasuke, sadly, would be on bed rest for about a week, no visitors allowed. She was working on organizing her belongings, as according to Kabuto until Orochimaru recovered from his recent transfer, they would be staying at this base. She filled her bedside table with various weapons, medicines, and finally, her hitai-ate. She played with it for a moment, letting her hands run over the metal and feel the fabric beneath her fingers. She traced the leaf etched in the center, steeling her resolve. She would go home someday, and Sasuke would be with her. 

It was simple – they just had to kill Orochimaru, and then Itachi. And probably Kabuto. Perhaps a few other Sound Ninja along the way, just to be safe.

Sakura hung her head down in frustration, sighing. This was hopeless. How could a ninja like Sakura ever hope to take on opponents like them? She was just going to atrophy away in her room, and then what use would she be to Sasuke, Naruto, or even herself? She gave up on her ruminations and prepared herself to sleep.

In a too big t-shirt and shorts left on the bed when she arrived, Sakura crawled into bed. Exhaustion hit her like a bull, and she soon found herself lingering between dreams and reality. The air was stagnant underground, and it weighed on her under the covers. The bed itself was stiff, but Sakura couldn’t have cared less at this point. She was just sick of being awake.

-

When Sakura awoke the next morning, it was to bad-breath, a stiff back, and a knock at her door. Forgetting where she was for a moment, she grumbled grievances to herself as she sat up in bed. Eyes not yet adjusted to waking up in pitch-black darkness, she reached for the blinds on a sliding door that wasn’t there. With a ‘thunk’ she rolled out of bed and onto her back. Ow.

“Everything all right in there?” Kabuto’s voice came through the door and Sakura remembered where she was. A pang of regret hit her. Pulling herself to her feet, she called back for him to wait a second. She ran to the bathroom to double-check she didn’t look embarrassing. She combed her hair with her fingers quickly before cracking the door. 

Putting on her best game face, she narrowed her eyes and removed all emotion from her voice to address Kabuto.

“Yes?” 

“Good morning, Sakura. Lord Orochimaru and I would like to have a word with you. I’ll be out here waiting for you to get dressed. Don’t take too long.” Kabuto’s usual demeanor of vague condensation and indifference had been replaced with annoyance. Something was wrong, Sakura could tell that much. Or maybe the spy was putting on an act purposefully to scare her. Either way, she wasn’t gonna let it get to her. She changed into the spare change of clothes she brought; standard navy pants and a red long-sleeve top with a white circle on her back. This was the outfit she wore in colder weather, although the heat of Summer often lingered into the Fall around Konoha. And while the stagnant air definitely made her feel warmer, they were the only clean clothes she had.

She opened the drawer and considered putting on her hitai-ate. It would probably be seen as either a slight or just silly of her. She opted not to and closed the drawer. Sakura stepped out of her room to find Kabuto against the wall opposite, waiting.

“Follow me.” The two strode down the dark hallways, which filled Sakura with a sense of unease. It didn’t help that without her headband, it was harder to keep the hair out of her face. She sighed.

_ ‘That’s why Ino tied your hair back in the first place. Come on Sakura, you could have tied it back with some fabric or something to be practical.’ _ Thinking of Ino made Sakura grimace, and the front she tried to put on dropped as she gave way to her emotions. She was certain Ino would be raging about this later to Shikamaru and Choji; something about how Sasuke was hers and Sakura was ‘Sooooo desperate!’ to be pulling a dangerous stunt like this just for a boy. That actually got her to laugh a bit, imagining that. She hoped Ino wouldn’t be  _ too _ mad at her.

“Something funny back there?” Kabuto’s acknowledgment of her made Sakura jump, and she mentally kicked herself for letting her guard down. On the defensive, she shook her head, scowling.

“It’s none of your business.” Kabuto just rolled his eyes with an exasperated sigh as they stopped outside of Orochimaru’s study. Sakura could feel his chakra, but it wasn’t as intense as last night. It was certainly strong, strong enough she could feel it, but it didn’t make her want to lie down and die.

Entering, Orochimaru was unwinding the bandages around his face. It matched the descriptions Sakura had been given of him, but his hair was still a shock of icy-blue atop his head. He turned his attention on the two who entered, smiling.

“Sakura Haruno. I hope you can forgive me for last night.” Sakura cringed slightly. His whole demeanor made her sick. From the corner of her eye, she could see Kabuto raise an eyebrow at her. “I know, I was terribly rude to you. I just hadn’t expected Sasuke to bring any uninvited guests.” There was a beat, and Sakura remembered to steel herself. Orochimaru took note of that and laughed. “Come now, no need to put on a brave front. I’ve already seen you at your lowest, in the Forest of Death.” Sakura gritted her teeth, face turning redder by the second. Of course, how could she forget? The week she went to Hell. Orochimaru walked over to her and Kabuto.

“You were the weakest on that team, no doubt about it. I thought it was going to be the Nine-Tails until I realized…” A wicked look crossed his face for a second, and Sakura went from embarrassed to confused. Orochimaru took note of it, “It seems you don’t quite know what that means yet, Sakura. Well, it’s not important. We’re not here to talk about Naruto, but you.” She blinked. What did that have to do with Naruto? 

“Okay… What about me?” She tried to keep her tone even, but now with more questions and concerns racing through her head, her voice betrayed her. 

“Sasuke has come here searching for power. That’s why I have most of my followers. But if I gave away all my power for free, then what would I be left with?” Sakura was sure he was going to answer his own question, but the little know-it-all in her from the Academy Days jumped out.

“Well, that’s why you keep them around. Because they give you their strength in return. Just like any shinobi village.” Sakura was shocked for a moment, not sure why she spoke so confidently like that, but Orochimaru smiled, nodding.

“Exactly. You catch on fast, Sakura, and that’s why we are here. You were there when Sasuke and I struck our little agreement yesterday, and sending you back to the Hidden Leaf, well, that’s out of the question. Not when I can cultivate such untapped potential.” Sakura was surprised to hear what sounded like… A compliment? Especially after he had just insulted her today and yesterday. “And if you’re going to remain here, with Sasuke, then you need to give me something in return. I lend you my power, my home, and by proxy my protection. So we will cultivate your power so you may serve me, and repay this debt.” Sakura sucked in air, although she should have expected something like this coming. She knew she wouldn’t be able to just do as she pleased, but figured she would be treated more like a prisoner than given any sort of attention.

“So… You’re going to train me?” Sakura wasn’t a fan of that idea. Luckily, Orochimaru shook his head. Kabuto sighed.

“That will be my job. Based on the intel I have on you, your proficiencies match my own skill-set. Excellent chakra control, good memorization skills, you remember niche facts and details.” Kabuto had pulled out a ninja info card, no doubt with her name and face on it. Rattling off her skills made her realize she didn’t have many, and they weren’t terribly impressive from her perspective. Not in comparison to her classmates. “You easily recognized my Temple of Nirvana technique and dispelled it, but genjutsu is not a listed specialty. Neither is ninjutsu or taijutsu, although your best of the 3 is ninjutsu. You’re a bit of a blank canvas in many regards, which has its pros and cons.” Kabuto put his card away, sighing. “But, I’ll make it work.” Sakura was sure now his bad attitude was because of her, and she had to stop herself from pulling something bratty on him. She wasn’t happy about working with him either, and once out of Orochimaru’s presence, she would be sure to let him know.

“Come now, Kabuto. Give Sakura a chance. You know, she reminds me a bit of you when we first met.” Sakura looked between the two men, noting that despite Orochimaru’s glee at poking fun at the other, Kabuto’s face had gone to a kind of default. He didn’t seem to have any kind of reaction to what he said. Sakura took that to mean Orochimaru’s comment bothered him enough that he didn’t want to show it. “You two are dismissed.” Kabuto bowed, and Sakura followed suit begrudgingly. She was not looking forward to this.

-

Naruto’s day was also filled with surprises. Not even ten minutes after he woke up, he was informed he had even more visitors. Naruto agreed to let them in, wanting to take his mind off of things. Although, he was sure the conversation would just go back to that like it did with Ino last night.

“Alright you four, go right on in.” Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw who it was. Shikamaru, followed by the Sand Siblings, entered Naruto’s hospital room.

“Yo, we got a couple of people who wanna say bye before they head back to the Sand Village.” Shikamaru stepped to the side to let them crowd around Naruto’s bed.

“Hey kid, you barely have a scratch on ya! Why are you in the hospital?” Kankuro’s attempt to poke fun at Naruto was met with a small smile. Shikamaru was glad to see it from where he leaned against the wall opposite.

“Naruto Uzumaki.” Gaara’s voice was calm, tempered, and while it didn’t have that same edge from the Chunin Exams, it still freaked him out. Naruto scratched the back of his head, not sure how to compose himself since the last time they saw each other Naruto was threatening to fight him until they both dropped.

“Oh, uh, hey, Gaara.” 

“It’s been a while. I haven’t yet properly thanked you for what you did for me.” 

“Uh, what for?” 

“You showed me another way to live, a better way. I am forever grateful to you for that. It is why we, my siblings and I, came to your aid.” Gaara took a deep breath in, bowing.

“Oh yeah, Shikamaru was telling me a bit about that.” Naruto’s brow twitched, as he was trying to fight off any negative baggage he had about it for later when his guests left. 

“If there is ever anything you need, please, do not hesitate to reach out for us. I am in your debt.” Gaara now bowed before Naruto, which was enough to snap the kid out of his state. While he appreciated the gesture, he was most definitely put off by the other boy’s intensity. Temari and Kankuro couldn’t help but laugh.

“He’s been like this ever since your fight. It freaked us out a bit too, at first, but that’s just how Gaara is. I never thought I would see my baby brother so humble.” Temari put a hand on Gaara’s shoulder, smiling. Kankuro put his hand on the other.

“It’s been a real doozy, wouldn’t you say? But it’s worth it. That puts us in your debt too, Naruto. I mean, if it weren’t for you, I’d still be getting bossed around by this guy.” Kankuro laughed and Naruto thought he saw an almost smile on Gaara’s face. 

“We need to get going if we wanna make it home before tomorrow, but we’ll be seeing you in a few months, right?” Temari asked. Naruto cocked his head, wondering what she was talking about.

“Why, what for?” 

“The Chunin Exams! I think it’s either Kumo or Iwa that’s holding them this time. Gaara here is convinced he’s gonna be the next Kazekage, and we told him if he’s serious then we better start climbing the ranks.” Temari smirked, “That’s another thing he picked up from his fight with you, I guess.” Naruto couldn’t believe his ears. Gaara wanted to be Kazekage? Naruto felt some of his motivation return, smiling at the 3.

“Well, then count me in! I’ll be there, believe it!” Naruto looked at Gaara.

“Gaara, when we meet again, we’re gonna have a real fight! No demons or giant toads, just you and me.” Naruto’s enthusiasm seemed to please Gaara, and he nodded.

“I look forward to it, Naruto Uzumaki.” The party made their way to the door, Shikamaru following.

“I gotta escort these guys to the gate, so I’ll see you around Naruto. When you get discharged though, come and see me.” Shikamaru closed the door, and Naruto laid back, feeling invigorated. It was good for him to see those 3, especially Gaara. Bonus points for no mention of his former teammates. Naruto looked out the window. Golden hour. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters are starting to get a tad longer. Some action should start to be incorporated in the next one, but I really want to focus on interpersonal relationships and moments as that's something really neglected in the canon lol. 
> 
> Would love to hear your thoughts and reviews!


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